2025 NBN Finals: Mavericks vs. 76ers — The Matchup Nobody Can Script

The NBN Finals begin with a clean sheet and a heavyweight collision: Dallas Mavericks against Philadelphia 76ers. Neither side has dropped a game, neither has stumbled in the conference stage, and yet every indication suggests this championship series will be anything but a breeze.

Dallas arrived by sweeping the Thunder 4-0. Their latest conference-final scores—133-108 and 128-122—tell the story of a team with two gears: an early lead-building juggernaut and a late-game closer. The Mavericks won one by 25 and another by six. That shrinking margin matters. It suggests Oklahoma City adjusted, Dallas absorbed the pressure, and Ron Mercer kept the pedal down when the game got uncomfortable.

Philadelphia’s path was rugged but ultimately authoritative. The 76ers eliminated the Nets 4-1, closing the door with a convincing 137-108 victory. That 29-point win was less a knockout than a coronation: Carmelo Anthony had already carried the load at 29.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while Chris Paul supplied the engine with 10.3 assists. Philly proved it could win decisively and, if needed, grind out a series through execution.

Mercer vs. Anthony: The Scoring Headline

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The main attraction is obvious: Mercer and Anthony finished the top-two scoring tracks neck and neck. Mercer averaged 29.9 points with a 59.1% true shooting rate; Anthony checked in at 29.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and a 57.5% true shooting rate. Mercer has the cleaner perimeter résumé, while Anthony offers more muscle, mobility and frontcourt gravity.

But stars only earn their keep when the supporting cast keeps the floor open. Dallas has a bruising answer inside in Bill Russell, who averaged 15.0 rebounds alongside 15.6 points and 4.3 assists. The Mavericks can feed him second chances, punish Philadelphia for sending extra defenders at Mercer and turn every defensive possession into another opportunity for Russell to attack the glass.

Philadelphia’s advantage may live in playmaking. Anthony can punish a packed lane, while Paul’s 10.3 assists can turn broken defensive alignments into open looks. The 76ers also have history against a now-eliminated opponent: Jay Williams averaged 22.0 points and 10.5 assists for Brooklyn, and Shawn Marion posted 29.2 points and 12.2 rebounds. Those are Nets numbers, not Philly numbers—but they serve as a warning that star-driven offense remains the defining feature of this postseason.

The Adjustment That Could Flip the Script

For Dallas, the adjustment is already visible: control the glass, own the middle and make Mercer the game’s last standing defender. A sweep can obscure how dangerous a team is when facing resistance, but the 128-122 conference-final win proves Dallas can survive the kind of six-point struggle that often decides a Finals.

Philadelphia needs pace and pressure. The 76ers should use Paul to attack Dallas’s ballhandlers, move the ball before the Mavericks’ defense settles, and make Anthony the offensive hub rather than merely the biggest hammer in the room. If Philly can run after makes and collect defensive rebounds, it can turn Mercer’s scoring into a high-volume but less efficient operation.

What Each Team Needs

  • Dallas: Defensive rebounding, perimeter resistance against Paul, and another level of creation if Mercer is trapped. Russell’s work on the boards could be the hidden stat sheet that decides the series.
  • Philadelphia: Early offense, transition attacks, disciplined defense against Mercer and enough shooting around Anthony to prevent every late possession from becoming a duel.

There are no Finals game scores yet—the series is officially 0-0—and no momentum swings to chart. That is precisely why this preview is so delicious. Both teams are undefeated in the postseason. Both have star power. Both have shown they can separate, then showed they can also be dragged into close quarters.

The Pick: Mavericks in Five

Dallas advances in five games. Mercer’s scoring, Russell’s rebounding and the Mavericks’ demonstrated ability to win both comfortably and narrowly give them the cleaner championship formula. Philadelphia has the talent to steal one—probably with an Anthony masterpiece in Philadelphia—but the 76ers will be hard-pressed to solve Dallas’s size and tempo.

The first championship game of the new season should not be a coronation. It should be a declaration: one Finals, two unbeaten teams, and absolutely nothing settled.

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